Jenna Goodwin – Civic Pride nomination
Jenna Goodwin – Civic Pride nomination
Writer, historian and now media platform owner, Jenna Goodwin is on a mission to share good news and to help people reconnect with what makes Staffordshire so special.
Jenna, otherwise known as the Red Haired Stokie, is the founder of the Staffordshire Signal magazine and digital platform which has now expanded into Staffordshire Signal TV.
Everything she does is centred around celebrating people and places, with a strong commitment to supporting communities.
Jenna has been nominated in the Civic Pride category of the Your Heroes Awards by Charlotte Pearce.
Charlotte said: “Jenna Goodwin, founder of Red Haired Stokie, is a passionate champion of civic pride across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Through her work promoting the history, heritage and identity of the city Jenna has helped countless people reconnect with what makes our area special.
“As the driving force behind Staffordshire Signal she has created a respected print and digital platform dedicated to sharing positive news, local stories and community achievements. Her commitment to celebrating people, places and successes across the county has helped foster a stronger sense of pride and belonging.
“Jenna is a tireless advocate for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, using her voice to shine a light on the region’s rich past, vibrant present and exciting future. Her enthusiasm, positivity and dedication make her a truly deserving recipient of the Civic Pride Award.”
Jenna has spent years building a strong and trusted regional audience through local history, writing, photography, video and community storytelling. She has become a recognised Staffordshire voice, telling the stories of the county’s people, places, heritage, culture and communities in a way that feels human, accessible and rooted in place.
The Staffordshire Signal grew from that trust but was created to become something much bigger than one person’s platform. Jenna recognised that Staffordshire needed a county-wide media organisation that could bring together local news, lifestyle, culture, events, business, heritage and community storytelling in a trusted, positive and sustainable way.
At a time when local journalism is under significant pressure, Jenna took the calculated risk of creating a new model. The Signal is funded by local businesses and the community it serves through advertising, sponsorship, print subscriptions, reader support, partnerships and community backing. Because it is a CIC that support is reinvested into Staffordshire journalism.
Under Jenna’s leadership The Staffordshire Signal has grown into a multi-platform organisation combining a free print magazine, digital features, newsletters, events coverage, community storytelling, business visibility and developing video work through The Staffordshire Signal TV.
The Staffordshire Signal now has an official partnership with City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College for the development of this video work and Jenna is in conversation with other educational organisations that want to be involved. The aim is to create a practical pathway between education and real media experience, giving students the chance to work on meaningful local stories, build confidence, develop portfolios and understand what journalism, production, and storytelling look like in practice.
Jenna said: “It’s nice that the work I do is acknowledged. If people want to support The Staffordshire Signal then the best thing to do is to use it, either by subscribing to the newsletter or to have the magazine delivered.”